The original Stade Louis II was opened in 1939 as the home of AS Monaco. The new stadium was built in the early 1980s, close to the site of the old stadium on land reclaimed from the sea, opening fully in 1985. It presently has a capacity of approximately 18,500 all seated, which is quite large relative to the population of Monaco (about 36,371); it can seat almost two-thirds of its country's population, a feat no other stadium can boast.[citation needed] The vast majority of the stadium's facilities are located underground, with a large car park directly under the pitch (something that has caused some degree of criticism from managers of AS Monaco's opponents in the past over the state of the pitch).[citation needed]

On 31 May 2004, an explosion, apparently deliberate, caused damage to the Stade Louis II and a neighbouring building, La Ruche, Fontvieille. No injuries were reported and responsibility for the attack remained unclear. The damage, while relatively extensive to portions of the fabric of the buildings, was verified as not having affected the buildings' respective structures. On 1 June the Government of Monaco announced that it would assume responsibility for repairs to the damage caused by the explosion, without preempting the results of expert investigations, which continued. This explosion constituted a rare exception to the principality's long-established reputation for safety and absence of violence.